increasing constantly. In the Peterborough area there are almost 30. These include six points recently installed in the Queensgate Shopping Centre, and a number put into four car parks by Peterborough City Council at a cost of over £28,000. Carol Wakelin, Environmental Coordinator at Queensgate says: “At the time of our recent £10m refurbishment I suggested we install chargers, as it seemed the right way to go. Admittedly they’re only used on average about once a week, but we consider this an investment in a greener future for the city.” The Peterborough branch of Dobbies Garden Centres installed four charging points when it opened in 2011. Manager Tony Cuthbert says only half a dozen owners use them regularly. “Most work within a mile or so of here. They plug in and walk to their offices. A lot of people like the idea of this technology, but having to plan their journeys carefully and the initial cost of vehicles may be putting some off,” he feels. Making the commitment Peterborough-based electrical installation specialist KA Wing installs BMW-branded charging units locally (part of a national scheme organised by BMW), and decided to buy a small fleet of the German manufacturer’s i3’s for its own use. Managing director David Lee explains: “We felt duty-bound to reduce our carbon footprint and actually these make great company cars. They’re very tax efficient as there’s no CO2-related benefit in kind tax.” Technical director Simon Howitt adds: “80% of our journeys are 20 miles or less. And if drivers need to recharge, the built-in satnav cleverly tells them where the nearest points are.” It’s worth mentioning that KA Wing is happy to advise on Government grants for those
wanting to get individual charging units fitted. The grants may cover the whole cost, which is approximately £1,000. DRIVING THE BMW I3 I tried driving the i3, which BMW claims is the first electric vehicle to be built from the ground up, and am happy to report it was simplicity itself. Efforts have been made to make the switch-on sequence feel the same as on a petrol car. There’s a ‘start’ button, a four-position ‘drive’ switch and a further switch to release the ‘handbrake’. Then a gentle touch on the accelerator and you’re moving off. At that point it does, to be honest, feel a bit weird, as there’s almost no noise, and a distinct sensation until you get used to it, that perhaps the car is running away down a slope – only of course it isn’t. Acceleration is fantastic, with 62 miles per hour coming up in just 7 seconds, though Nathan Owen, Sycamore’s i Product Genius warned me that driving aggressively considerably shortens battery life. Another thing to get used to is having to use the brake pedal less. Just lift off and you’ll slow down or even come to a complete standstill. As standard this vehicle does about 80 miles on one charge, and there’s an optional range extender pack which includes a 650cc BMW motorcycle engine designed to (if you’ll pardon the expression) kick in to maintain the battery’s charge, giving up to 180 miles total range. Darran Foot, Electric Vehicle Relationship Manager at the Nissan dealership within Smith Motor Group, Peterborough says: “It’s a case of chicken and egg with the electric vehicle market. We’ve got to get people buying vehicles,
to get the Government and organisations installing charging points. People will just have to change their mindset and accept you don’t have the same range as petrol cars. But Nissan’s research shows most journeys are actually 25 miles or less.” Are we about to see a new generation of vehicle batteries offering a much greater range? “The lithium-ion technology used hasn’t changed much in the last 10 years, so I don’t think so,” he says. “For my money the best development is the growth in the numbers of 50 kW chargers, which can see most models on their way within half an hour fully charged. We’re told that around 90% of motorway service stations now have them.”
HERE ARE SOME OTHER ECO-DRIVING TIPS • check tyre pressures regularly • remove unnecessary kit from your car (including those heavy golf clubs!) • take off roof racks, luggage boxes, etc when not needed to reduce air resistance • turn off engine if you have to wait a long time • only use air-con when you need to • plan your route or use navigational/advisory aids to avoid congestion. www.sycamorebmw.co.uk www.smithsnissan.co.uk www.smithsmotorgroup.co.uk/renault/ www.kawingltd.com/ www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk/ www.dobbies.com/find-a-garden-centre/ peterborough/
STAMFORD LIVING MAY 2014
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